Since 14 December 2025, an IC (Intercity, Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance train) has run from Rostock, Dresden and Chemnitz straight to the station beneath Terminal 1 without a change, and coaches from Poland stop at bus stop B. For flights from late morning onwards, travelling on the day of departure usually works. If your flight leaves so early that the first suitable connection no longer arrives with a buffer, a hotel at the terminal the night before is the safer option.
Ideal for early flyers and business travellers who want maximum terminal proximity with four-star comfort.
Ideal for early-morning flyers and transit passengers who want to reach Terminal 1 in minutes without a shuttle.
According to the airport operator, the IC line Rostock–Berlin–BER–Dresden links the airport with both cities: from Dresden up to seven times a day in around 1.5 hours, from Rostock in around 2.5 hours. Deutsche Bahn describes the line as a two-hourly service (Chemnitz–) Dresden–Berlin–Rostock calling at BER, so some trains start in Chemnitz. The trains are IC 2 double-deck units.
Two restrictions are worth knowing:
The arrival time of the first train of the day depends on the timetable in force. Do the maths yourself: with around 2.5 hours from Rostock and a 6:00 departure, you would have to set off in the middle of the night. Check the DB journey planner for your travel date to see whether such an early train exists at all.
According to Rostock Port, the Warnemünde cruise terminal is around 500 m (about 5 minutes on foot) from Warnemünde S-Bahn station. In season, suburban trains run to Rostock Hbf every 7.5 minutes at peak times and every 15 minutes otherwise. At Rostock Hbf you change to the IC for BER. Allow considerably more than the IC journey time from ship to terminal: the walk, the S-Bahn, changing trains with luggage and waiting for the next IC all add up.
If you fly on disembarkation day, choose a flight with a generous margin. If your flight leaves the next morning, a night at BER is usually more relaxed than a night in Rostock followed by an early train.
Long-distance coaches stop at bus stop B, which according to BER is around 400 m from Terminal 1 and around 600 m from Terminal 2; the stop is accessible around the clock. The airport operator lists Flixbus, RegioJet, Ecolines and Sindbad among the operators, and Szczecin, Poznań, Wrocław and Zielona Góra as popular connections from Poland.
BER’s guide values: Szczecin and Zielona Góra around 2–2.5 hours, Poznań and Wrocław around 3–4 hours. BER gives approximate average ranges for coach tickets from € 19 to € 45 and discounted rail connections from € 25 to € 60.
| Origin | Connection to BER | Journey time (guide) | Hotel the night before makes sense if … |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rostock | IC, no change | approx. 2.5 h | your flight leaves early morning or mid-morning |
| Warnemünde (cruise) | S-Bahn to Rostock Hbf, then IC | IC approx. 2.5 h plus S-Bahn and change | a same-day flight is tight or you fly the next morning |
| Dresden | IC, no change, up to 7 trains a day | approx. 1.5 h | the first train does not arrive with a buffer |
| Chemnitz | some ICs, no change | longer than from Dresden | only a few direct trains are suitable |
| Szczecin, Zielona Góra | coach to stop B | approx. 2–2.5 h | your flight leaves before the first coach arrival plus buffer |
| Poznań, Wrocław | coach to stop B | approx. 3–4 h | your flight leaves in the morning |
If the fallback no longer gets you to your flight, arriving the night before is the more robust choice. For general guidance see Early flight; for all transport options from the station to the terminal see Getting to BER.
If you arrive in the evening by IC or coach, a hotel within walking distance is the simplest option: the Steigenberger Airport Hotel is around 50 m from the terminal, the IntercityHotel BER Terminal 1+2 around 300 m. On the morning of departure there are no changes or timetable risks. Whether you can drop your bags the evening before is covered under Evening bag drop.
If you drive from Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania or Poland, compare Park, Sleep & Fly with the options under Parking at BER.
Yes. Since 14 December 2025 the IC (Intercity) Rostock–Berlin–Dresden has called at BER, with a journey time of around 2.5 hours from Rostock. Until 12 December 2026 the trains are diverted in Berlin; check the BER stop in the DB journey planner before you travel.
Walk around 500 m to Warnemünde S-Bahn station, take the S-Bahn to Rostock Hbf and change there to the IC for BER. Direct ICs from Warnemünde have not run since December 2025.
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